Just got my first TIG welder

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I have wanted to try TIG welding for the longest time, and finally went out and bought a used Miller synchrowave 180SD. Im really looking forward to welding aluminum as well as alloys, but really have no clue where to begin. Now I know you might be thinking "What the F#%K is this guy thinking?", but Im just determined i guess. Im looking for any info that might help me in this adventure that im about to take. It has a selector switch in the center, with 3 positions(DC and AC), and Im not sure what the setting should be. What tungsten should I use ect. I'll figure out the correct amperage as I go along, but would really appreciate some pointers and a shove in the right direction. I am just a weekend hobbiest that tinkers around in my garage. However I have been thinking about taking some welding classes to help and pass a little time. I post pics as I go along. Thanks,Tony
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Reply:Originally Posted by SR20steve
Reply:The best tip I can give you is to start reading as much as possible until you enroll in a class or get someone to teach you.  Reading the threads on this forum alone should keep you busy for a long time.  I'm new to welding and in currently in school, so I'm doing it 5 days a week, plus I read as much as I can at home.
Reply:If you go on Millers site you can download the manual for that machine. It has quite a bit that will help you get it set up correctly to do tig. Miller also has a good student pack for $25 that you can order that will help with learning tig.http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o360j_mil.pdfhttp://www.millerwelds.com/resources/tools/Get yourself some 3/32" red tungsten and the matching collets/collet body and a #8 cup for starters. If you have don't already have those parts, spend a few extra bucks get the gas lens set up instead. It will allow you to extend the tungsten a bit farther which will help you see a bit better learning. You will also need a cyl of 100% argon if you didn't get one with the machine.Get yourself some 1/8" steel say 3" flat for example and cut yourself a dozen or so 6" pieces too start and grind off all the mill scale. Prep your tungsten as shown in the manual. Set the machine for 160 amps then start running a puddle on the plate with no filler. The idea is to learn and understand how the puddle reacts as you use the pedal. Go crazy and see how fast you can blow holes in the plate, and how small you can make the puddle and so on. Then start adding filler and running beads on a plain plate. The idea is not to melt the rod with the arc, but to melt the rod by sticking it in  the puddle. When you dip the tungsten in the puddle or stick the filler on the tungsten, stop and regrind. Once you have that down you can move on to joints. Don't be in a rush, the basics will make joints that much easier. Don't forget to post up picts of your practice and what settings you are running and we'll help.I'll agree a class can be a big help if there's one available in your area and it can be the easiest way to learn. Usually most classes are stupid cheap when you figure out the cost of the materials, gas, filler, tungsten, electric... not to mention the instruction, as well as often having access to other tools like a shear, plasma, O/A and so on. Since you have a machine, you can spend time between classes practicing, and spend class time learning new stuff or working on any issues. Good luck..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Some basic starters that i got years ago. You want DC negative for stainless and reg metals. AC is for aluminum only. If that machince has HF and HF continuos use HF start itll make life alot easier on starts without scratch starting. 3/32nd is a great all around size for Tungsten,collets and wedges. # 8 cups are good to start but ive gone in favor of smaller sizes depending on what im doing. To me theyre easier to work with . And the best tip i got is if your new use lower amps cuz youre gonna run slow at first then build up your amps if and when you get faster. Argon gas is your best friend also and try to aviod fans,wind,drafts etc....Hope this helps to get you started.. Dont get frustrated easy TIG is a different animal and it takes time but, if you stick with it you will love it I promise..
Reply:Thanks for all the good info. It did come with a full bottle of argon, and a foot pedal. It also came with a bunch of filler rod for steel, stainless and, aluminum. Unfotrunately no tungsten, collets, or cups. I'm not new to welding, just the TIG process. It dod come with a "BIG" bottle of N.O.S. also. The gentleman that I purchased it from said his son used it for TIG.????  Anyone know when you would use N.O.S. for welding? Or did he just unload something on me he was having trouble getting rid of?
Reply:You'll need a lot more than half a dozen strips of steel to learn tig.  I took a class and bet I went through 500 welds in steel before I began to get the hang of it.  Then I started on Aluminum, and it was like starting over.  Probably 500 more aluminum welds, and now I'm just feeling like I could do something useful.
Reply:i've had my tig for a couple years now... i just went to the  www.weldingtipsandtricks.com website and subscribed to their email tips, beginner and advanced...  i've got 2 installments so far, very good tips and instructions i think..  i would reccommend it..i'm no welding wiz by far, but these are some good simple instructions..this is copied from the personal email i recieved after subscribing to the beginner tips and tricks... dont guess this is copy right infringement being it was sent in a personla email and no copyright was on it...Installment 2. More Basic Instructions For Tig Welding - Gas Tungsten Arc Welding Basics For the NoobEver wish you could find some simple Instructions for tig welding? Like boiled down Tig welding basics without all the Techno babble?This is about as simple as it gets without photos...Machine Settings - For Steel, stainless steel, nickel alloys, and pretty much anything except aluminum, and magnesium, your tig welding machine will be set to DCEN (direct current electrode negative) aka Straight polarity.High frequency is set to start (on newer inverters this setting is built in). Postflow is set to at least 10 seconds, A/C balance if equipped is set to the DCEN default setting. Contactor and amperage switches are both set to remote. (again on newer inverters, this is default when the tig mode is set).For tig welding aluminum, set polarity to A/C, A/c balance to around 7, high frequency to continuous. All other machine settings above are same as for tig welding steel.Shielding gas - set to around 15 cfh. Argon is the all purpose shielding gas for tig welding anything. Once you get some seat time, you may want some 50/50 argon/helium for tig welding aluminum.Tig Torch - There are air cooled tig torches and water cooled. And there are big ones and little ones of each.Generally speaking, smaller is better. A water cooled 250 amp tig torch is smaller than some 100 amp air cooled torches. Bigger torches are ok, just harder to manipulate in tight spots. A #7 tig cup is a good place to start.Tungsten Electrodes - For welding steel, electrodes need to be sharp and clean. A belt sander, or 4 /12 inch sander will be fine. For aluminum tig welding, just round the tip with a sander and thats all.2% thoriated tungsten electrodes will weld everything. Thorium is radioactive so if that scares you, get some 2% lanthanated and it will work for everything. Use the smallest electrode that will get the job done within reason.1/16 tungsten electrodes are good up to around 90 amps, much above 90 amps and you need 3/32. Above 200 amps and you need a 1/8 tungsten.Tig Welding Rod - 90 % of everything you will tig weld can be welded with 3 different tig rods. 308 for welding stainless, E70S2 - for welding mild steel and 4130, and 4043 for welding aluminum. There are all kinds of rods for specific applications but these 3 rods will handle most of the tig jobs you will do.Tig Welding Technique - Hold the tig torch like it was a first grade pencil with the ball of you hand resting on the table or something. Lean the torch back just about 10 degrees and with the tip of the tungsten lifted about 1/4 inch off the metal, nod your welding helmet down and press the foot pedal. Once you establish the arc, increase the heat by pressing the foot pedal until your welding puddle is about 4 times the thickness you are welding up to about 3/8 inch max. Try to keep the arc length (distance between tip of electrode and puddle) to about the size of the electrode you are using.Now comes the technique...to get an evenly rippled stack of dimes welding bead, add filler rod, pause, move the puddle about 1/8 inch and pause, add filler metal, pause, and so on, and so on.If you do this step and pause tig welding technique right, you get a uniform stack of dime bead.Easy right? But it takes lots of practice and seat time.5 Tig Welding Tips -1. Try to maintain an tip to puddle distance of no more than the electrode diameter.2. Keep torch angle to a 10 degree maximum.3. If the filler rod balls up and tries to blob into the puddle, see tips 1 and 2 above.4. For steel, keep plenty of sharp electrodes handy and change electrodes when you dip your wick.5. Get some E70S2, ER308, and 4043 aluminum rods. These 3 will do most tig jobs.
Reply:does the NOS cylinder have a CGA540 valve on it?  He might have just picked up a cylinder and used an adapter or replaced the valve and filled it with argon.miller syncrowave 250hobart handler 140home made 400 amp engine driven in progress...
Reply:Originally Posted by LegacyHowever I have been thinking about taking some welding classes to help and pass a little time. I post pics as I go along.
Reply:Ok, so I ran a couple beads, and I have alot to learn yet. Im really having alot of fun with this. Here are a few pics. The mig is my 10yr sons handy work. The TIG is my first few attempts. I noticed that its undercut, but im just getting started. Please critique me. Attached Images
Reply:looks good for the first time.  now do that 50-100 timesthen add filler  50 -100 then onto  joints practice ,practice,pract........and  do moreidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:Originally Posted by prop-doctorlooks good for the first time.  now do that 50-100 timesthen add filler  50 -100 then onto  joints practice ,practice,pract........and  do more
Reply:Originally Posted by LegacyThanks for all the good info. It did come with a full bottle of argon, and a foot pedal. It also came with a bunch of filler rod for steel, stainless and, aluminum. Unfotrunately no tungsten, collets, or cups. I'm not new to welding, just the TIG process. It dod come with a "BIG" bottle of N.O.S. also. The gentleman that I purchased it from said his son used it for TIG.????  Anyone know when you would use N.O.S. for welding? Or did he just unload something on me he was having trouble getting rid of?